The Effect of Sport-metrics Training on Knee Proprioception, Lower Limb Kinematics, and Neuromuscular Control in Football Players with Dynamic Knee Valgus

To investigate the effect of football-specific Sportmetrics training on knee proprioception, lower limb kinematics during single-leg landing, and inhibitory control in football players with dynamic knee valgus

Clinical trial with control group, with parallel group, single blinded, randomized

The study will be conducted in a controlled environment at the Sports Rehabilitation Laboratory of Bu-Ali Sina University in Hamedan by specialists in this field, and the intervention and training sessions will subsequently take place in the university’s sports hall. After initial screening and confirmation of the presence of dynamic knee valgus, participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. In the pre-test phase, knee proprioception, lower limb kinematics during single-leg landing, and inhibitory control will be assessed. The intervention group will then undergo a 6-week sport-specific plyometric training program for football, while the control group will continue their usual activities. Following the intervention period, post-test assessments will be conducted under the same conditions as the pre-test. This study will be single-blinded, and the assessor responsible for data collection will remain unaware of participants’ group allocation.

Male football players aged 18–25 years with at least two years of regular football participation, diagnosed with dynamic knee valgus based on the Overhead Squat Test, with no history of acute or chronic lower extremity injury during the previous six months and no history of knee, hip, or ankle surgery during the previous 12 months, who provide written informed consent to participate in the study.

Sportmetrics training group , control group

Knee proprioception, lower extremity kinematics, inhibitory control

After baseline assessment, participants were randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups (1:1) using simple randomization with Random Number Generator software. The unit of randomization was the individual participant, and no stratification was applied. The random sequence was computer-generated, and allocation concealment was not performed.

This study will be conducted as a single-blind trial. The assessor responsible for data collection and pre-test/post-test evaluations will be blinded to participants' group allocation. To minimize assessment bias, participants will be coded in a manner that prevents the assessor from identifying whether they belong to the intervention or control group.